Community angry over ‘illegal’ party congress

Unless there is an urgent intervention by concerned authorities, the brewing tension in Ojodu Local Council Development Area (LCDA) of Lagos, a serious crisis may erupt in the area soon.

Amid outbursts of anger Friday evening, leaders and members of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the area held their maiden meeting and inauguration of the LCDA chapter of the party, following a congress election held on April 5, which was adjudged free and fair.

They are, however, bitter over a “needless” rerun poll allegedly spearheaded by the member representing them in the House of Representatives, Hon. James Abiodun Faleke – which has since created a parallel leadership for the party in the area.

Party leaders present at the parley, which was held at the Agidingbi Town Hall, Ikeja, included: Hon Olori Lola Bashorun, a former Vice Chairman of the LCDA; Chief Joseph Olaseinde Famakinwa, chairman of Ward C; Elder Alade Solomon, party lear from Oke-Ira, Ogba; Alhaja Kehinde Quadri, chairman, Ward A, and Hon Azeez Adebayo, Supervisor for Works in the LCDA.

The mammoth crowd of party members and supporters that thronged the venue of the meeting loudly expressed their anger over the unsavoury development as they urged the state leaders of the party to attend to their grievances to avoid imminent chaos and save the party.

Hon Bashorun told TheNation: “The problem here is about somebody who claims to be our representative desiring to control the leadership of all the six wards here. Hon Faleke was at the April 5 congress which was free and fair. But because he could not realise his ambition of having his people in all the wards, he organised a bogus rerun and went to the state leadership of our party to lie that his own version was the authentic. Interestingly, the state leadership said there was no rerun anywhere. This is unacceptable. We just want to assure the party that we are on ground here. They have taken over the key to our secretariat; that is why we are he because we don’t want trouble. Let the state intervene and ensure justice now.”

Famakinwa, who echoed Bashorun’s views, said the matter demanded urgent attention by the authorities in the party because of the imminence of the 2015 election, adding however, that they remained loyal members of APC in the area.

Also, Alhaja Quadri said the rerun is illegal and unjust, saying: “I am the only elected woman in the free and fair poll. To now say that the same poll should be set aside is strange; it does not help the course of justice and ideal democracy. We need help here.”

Both Solomon and Adebayo also expressed displeasure over the development, adding that it would be too much of a political risk to leave the area in the throes of the mounting tension.

When contacted, Faleke, in an SMS, said: “I think you should contact the party secretariat at Acme. Why should I destroy the party we have built? Those that organised the parallel (congress) are Hon Oloro and sadly Baba Eto who incidentally is the deputy chairman of the party in the state.”

However, Oloro (the LCDA’s chairman) exonerated himself and Baba Eto, saying it was the people that organised the congress. “I was Hon Faleke’s deputy for two terms when he chaired this council; I did not give him any problem. It is strange and unbelievable that today, whatever happens, he is always quick to mention my name,” he added.